UAV Projects

I'm enjoying interacting with and modifying the firmware used in the flight controllers and other hardware.  I've contributed modifications to the open-source ArduPilot and Betaflight/Cleanflight projects, and I've posted several utility programs, as described below.

 

• Developed the ArduVidRx Android app to operate an FPV video receiver that has been modified to have an Arduino Pro Mini add-on board.  (Also implemented the Arduino code and serial-interface protocol.)

 

• Created ‘IMDTabler’ and ‘FreqSetGen’, web-based tools in Java for calculating IMD (Intermodulation Distortion) effects on FPV video signals.

 

• Implemented modifications to the Delta 5 Race Timer, an open-source multi-node timing system (Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Python, Javascript, SQL).
  

 

• Developed ‘clipytool’, a command-line utility written in Python for interacting with a Cleanflight controller board.

 

• Implemented patches to the Betaflight controller firmware (C++) that enhance how a connected FPV video transmitter can be configured. These patches have been merged into the Betaflight master code.

 

• Implemented a bugfix for the Betaflight controller firmware (C++) that fixes an issue with SmartAudio 'looping' after a vtx_freq in MHz is set.

 

• Cleanflight patch:  Adds new commands to control the effect the current inclination has on self-leveling in the Horizon flight mode.  This patch has been merged into the Cleanflight master code (C++).

 

• Cleanflight patch:  Port of refactored beeper code from an upstream project.  This patch has been merged into the Cleanflight code (C++).

 

• ArduPilot / ArduPlane patch:  Fixes support for differential spoilers on planes, and adds new options for elevon offsets.  This patch has been merged into the ArduPlane master code (C++) and is part of ArduPlane v3.6.0 and newer.

 

• ArduPilot / ArduPlane patch:  Adds new geo-fence options for disarming motors on breaches on planes, and for enabling the geo-fence on motor arming (C++).

 

• PX4MiniAIO Flight Controller:  Investigated issues with bootup and compass functionality with the flight controller, and posted modified firmware files (C++).

 

• Created the "etheli" version of the open-source firmware for RX5808 Diversity modules (that plug into Fatshark Dominator goggles), which adds the BY-MHZ MODE (that allows an arbitrary frequency in MHz to be directly dialed in and tuned).